The RaboDirect Rebels have finalised its coaching structure for the 2012 Super Rugby Season.
2012 Rebels Coaching Structure
Head Coach: Damien Hill
Senior Assistant Coach: John Muggleton
Assistant Coach: Nathan Grey
Assistant Coach: Matt Cockbain
Director of Rugby: Rod Macqueen
John Muggleton joins the Rebels as a Senior Assistant Coach after recently winding up his commitments with Georgia at the 2011 World Cup.
John spent 10 years with the Wallabies as defence coach, where he played a major role in winning 4 Bledisloe Cups, 2 Tri-Nations titles and the 1999 World Cup where the Wallabies conceded only one try throughout the tournament.
Muggleton has also coached with the USA and Llanelli Scarlets in what is now known as the RaboDirect Pro 12.
An accomplished rugby league player in his own right, John was a member of the undefeated Australian Kangaroo tour of 1982 and won 4 premierships with the Parramatta Eels.
Muggleton will be joined on the coaching panel by new Assistant Coach Matt Cockbain.
Cockbain enjoyed a successful playing career, including 91 matches for the Queensland Reds and 63 Tests for the Wallabies.
After retirement Cockbain transitioned into coaching and was the lineout coach for the Reds in 2007, before moving to Melbourne.
Matt was a player/coach for the original Rebels side in the 2007 Australian Rugby Championship and spent last year working within the Rebel Rising coaching department.
Cockbain has also played an instrumental role in player development within Victoria, specifically through his work with the Melbourne University Rugby Club and the Victorian State Team.
Former Wallaby Ben Darwin, who was the Rebels Rugby Analyst in 2011 will continue in his current role, while also assisting Matt Cockbain with scrums.
In other news, Nathan Grey has been promoted into the role of Assistant Coach for the 2012 season.
Nathan joined the Rebels after a celebrated career with the Queensland Reds, NSW Warathahs and the Wallabies, before joining Kyuden in Japan.
Nathan has been handed increased responsibilities for next year, after working as Skills Coach in the Rebels inaugural season.
RaboDirect Rebels Head Coach Damien Hill said today that he was looking forward to working with the 2012 coaching panel.
“John Muggleton is a highly regarded coach and is recognised worldwide for his expertise in the area of defence. This is one of several aspects of our game that we need to improve and we believe that John will be a tremendous asset to us.
“Matt Cockbain has already been involved with the team through the Rebel Rising program and more recently on our Development Tour of the UK and Ireland. His enthusiasm for the Rebels is well known and we are thrilled to have him step into this new role.
“I am very pleased with the coaching group we have and together we are looking forward to a big 2012 season.”